The Survey of Scottish Witchcraft

1563-1736

By Julian Goodare, Lauren Martin, Joyce Miller and Louise Yeoman, January 2003

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Case Details

C/EGD/935 Issobell Haldane

name of accused
Issobell Haldane
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/EGD/924
Case date start
15/5/1623
Given case date
no information
Case commission
no information
case complaint
no information
case correspondence
no information
case chronicle
no information
other details
no information

characterisation

  • unorthodox religious practise (secondary characteristic)
  • folk healing (secondary characteristic)
  • maleficium (secondary characteristic)
  • not enough information (secondary characteristic)
Characterisation Notes
Recorded in the PC as being held in tolbooth under suspicion of 'using of charmes'. She was seems to have been a healer who received her power from fairies. Although she denied being a healer.
additional persons
name involvement notes
no additional persons recorded

Qualitative information

Non-natural beings

Notes
The grey bearded man told her that John Roch's child would die.
  • Male Fairy grey beard.

Demonic pacts

  • no information

witches meetings

Notes
None

Meeting places

  • no information

musical instruments

  • no information

Folk culture

  • Elphane or Fairyland
  • Specific Verbal Formulae
  • Specific ritual acts
  • Unorthodox religious practice
Notes
She confessed to using special water. She washed a sick child and asked for healing in the name of the father, son and holy ghost. Then cast the bairns shirt in the burn. She was nearly able to transfer the disease, but she spilt some water and it didn't work. She was asked if she met fairies, she answered yes, 10 years prior. She claimed that she stayed in a fairy hill for three days -Thursday till Sunday. Met with a man with a grey beard. She made 3 cakes, out of 9 handfuls of meal gotten from 9 different women. She collected well water for healing. Sharg - tiny ill-thriving creature, probably a changeling.

Counter strategies

  • no information

white magic

  • no information

Elf/fairy elements

  • Changeling
  • Group of fairies
  • Fairy hill

Shape-changing

  • no information

Ritual objects

  • Water
  • Shirt
  • Bannock

Religious motif

  • Trinity
  • Prayer
  • Three
  • Nine

Calendar customs

  • no information

Diseases or illness

  • Human illness
  • Removal bewitchment
  • Cursing
  • Healing humans
Notes
She was asked if she had skill of curing. She said no. Fortold the death of a child. She was caught stealing bere, and said threatening words. Her powers came from the fairy.

Cause of witch's malice

  • no information

Other maleficia

Damage to property

  • no information

weather modification

  • no information

Notes
None

Other charges

  • Charming
Notes
None

Plea

Claimed bewitched
no
Claimed possessed
no
Admitted lesser charges
no
No defence
no
Claimed natural causes
no
Notes
None
Case Notes
None
references
name notes
RPC v13 p. 270 None
Spottiswoode Miscellany Vol 2, p 304-5. Spottiswoode is an edited copy of KS records. KS investigated a woman who had consulted Haldane for healing advice.
RPC 2nd S, v8 p. 352-354 Same as Pitcairn v ii, p. 537-538